Is your work environment Agile?
As a follow-up to my post on Agile Leadership, I have described the 7 dimensions of an Agile Project Team and what it means to deliver results in an Agile context. This forth (out of five) post briefly looks into the Agile Work Environment (or Agile Work Space) to successfully support the delivery of results by the project team.
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done – Principles behind the Agile Manifesto.
As suggested by the Manifesto, providing the right environment will support a fast paced, entrepreneurial, flexible and autonomous culture allowing the project team to focus on their objective while enjoying their environment.
A few questions to assess the work space configuration of the project team:
- Are all team members co-located?
- Does the physical environment support effortless communication?
- Are team members within 10 meters (30 feet) of a white board?
- Are team members allowed to stick post-it notes to the walls around them?
- Does the project team have access to natural light?
- Are team members allowed to decorate their work space?
- Do the project team members have access to free good-coffee?
- When necessary, do team members have access to private rooms to concentrate on their activities?
Needless to say, the right work environment can have a significant impact on the project team’s performance. More specifically, the right work environment should support the team’s autonomy, ability to communicate and collaborate. It should support the use of the right processes and tools to be efficient while allowing them to enjoy their surroundings.
